Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles Betting Preview
The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles will meet for one of the more special games on the Major League Baseball calendar. They will play in the annual Little League Classic game in Williamsport, PA, where they will interact with the participants in the Little League World Series before taking the field.
But this game is significant for reasons that go well beyond the novelty of this contest, as the Red Sox and Orioles are fighting for Wild Card positioning in the American League.
Orioles Look To Continue Surprising Run
The Baltimore Orioles come into this game as a pick ‘em against the Boston Red Sox, a designation they have not seen often over the last few seasons of baseball futility. This season has been very different for the Orioles, though, as they are four games above .500 and ahead of the Red Sox in the standings coming into this game. In the Little League Classic, the Orioles will send Dean Kremer to the mound in hopes of shrinking their 2.5-game deficit in the race for the third Wild Card spot.
Kremer is 5-4 on the season and has an ERA of 3.58 in 70.1 innings of work so far in 2022. It will be interesting to see how Kremer performs early in this game, as both pitchers will be dealing with a park that they are not familiar with. If Kremer can get off to a strong start for the Orioles, he will give them a legitimate chance to get a second win over the Red Sox in this three-game series.
Red Sox Nearing Now Or Never Time
The Boston Red Sox would not have expected to be in last place in the AL East this late in the season. But the Red Sox find themselves in the cellar of their division, thanks to some poor play on their part and some inspired play from the Orioles. Now, the Red Sox look to win this series against the Orioles in Williamsport, as they enter this matchup five games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.
Boston will send Nick Pivetta to the mound as he looks to pick up his 10th win of the season and get back above .500 on the year. Pivetta is 9-9 on the season and has a 4.28 ERA in his 136.2 innings of work. Pivetta has been a feast or famine arm for the Red Sox all season long, and him being in an environment like this one in Williamsport could be a significant challenge for him.
Red Sox vs. Orioles Betting Prediction
This game is going to come down to which pitching staff can adjust to a huge deviation from their normal routine. With the Red Sox pitching a true Jekyll and Hyde player like Pivetta, expect the Orioles to be better equipped to handle their business in the Little League Classic. Take the Orioles to win this game at -110 odds and for them to plunge the Red Sox further into misery this year.
